| Official Name: | Essex Township |
| Settlement Type: | Township |
| Image Map1: | Map of Illinois highlighting Kankakee County.svg |
| Mapsize1: | 150px |
| Map Caption1: | Kankakee County's location in Illinois |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Illinois |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Kankakee |
| Leader Title: | Supervisor |
| Leader Name: | Don Babjak |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | August 1, 1855 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 36.23 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 35.64 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.59 |
| Area Water Percent: | 1.63 |
| Population As Of: | 2010 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 41.5 |
| Elevation M: | 178 |
| Elevation Ft: | 584 |
| Coordinates: | 41.1589°N -88.1886°W |
| Timezone: | CST |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes |
| Postal Code: | 60424, 60481, 60913, 60917, 60935, 60941, 60961 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 17-091-24465 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2016 |
| Pop Est Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Est: | 1414 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
Essex Township is one of seventeen townships in Kankakee County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 1,480 and it contained 686 housing units.[2]
The now lost towns of Tracy, Oklahoma, and Clarke City, which housed coal miners in the 1800s, were located in Essex Township.[3]
According to the 2010 census, the township has a total area of, of which (or 98.37%) is land and (or 1.63%) is water.[2]
The township contains these two cemeteries: North Essex and South Essex.
The township is governed by an elected Town Board of a Supervisor and four Trustees. The Township also has an elected Assessor, Clerk, Highway Commissioner and Supervisor. The Township Office is located at 315 North Pine, Essex, IL 60935.